


The Holiday

by multifandomgal



Category: Battle for London in the Air (Roleplay)
Genre: I have probably spent too long on this, Multi, The Holiday, a silly festive film AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomgal/pseuds/multifandomgal
Summary: Like Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz before them, two of the LITA folks swap houses over Christmas. Classic rom-com tropes ensue.
Relationships: Cordelia French/Andrew O'Rourke, Dr Jhandir/Celine Abinall, Irving Suttler/Chauncey Spencer (mentioned), Rebecca Tyler/Tristan Curtis
Kudos: 5





	1. 'Maestro'

**Author's Note:**

> chapter titles are based on the part of the film score that would be playing!

As Wham's 'Last Christmas' began to play through the speakers down the hall for the third time that hour, Cordelia French knew she had made the right decision in hiding in her office. It was the last day before most of the staff of _The Manhattan Telegraph_ went off on their Christmas breaks, so, naturally, the bosses had organised a party. Cordelia knew that her friends Rebecca and Tristan would be looking for her out there, but honestly, she couldn't be dealing with crowds right now. Besides, she still hadn't finished her last article, and the deadline was in... quick watch check... twenty minutes. Oops.

As Cordelia typed furiously, she became aware of a looming presence behind her. She turned in her chair, already scowling, as there was only one person it could be.

"Faye, darling! I knew I'd find you here. Not enjoying the party?" Thaddeus Beck said. He was lounging against the doorframe, his classic slimy grin plastered across his face. Despite the festivities, he wore, as usual, an outdated, all-black clothing ensemble.

"Leave me alone, Thaddeus. I'm trying to work," Cordelia snapped, turning her back to him again.

"Fine. I'll just wait until you're done. I have something for you!"

Cordelia sighed, but didn't bother responding. He wouldn't do as she said anyway. So, for several agonising minutes, she continued typing, despite being all-too-aware of Beck peering over her shoulder.

"There, done. Now what do you want?" she demanded, not looking him in the eye. A small 'ping' from her computer told her that her article had been successfully submitted.

Beck grinned again, and handed her a small envelope (black, of course). "It's an IOU," he explained, "for your Christmas present. I forgot to bring it today, but I know you're going to look divine in it." He winked. Like, actually winked. Cordelia tried not to gag - how had she ever found this man attractive?

"Wow. Thanks. Now I best be off back to the party. See you!" Cordelia tried not to run on her way out into the hallway. Thankfully, Beck didn't follow.

Moments later, Cordelia was safely amongst the crowds of co-workers in the newsroom, where, hopefully, there would be no more awkward encounters. She was just throwing Beck's letter in the bin when there was a tap on her shoulder, followed by a voice:

"Oh there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" it was Rebecca, looking lovely in a purple dress, with her dark hair swept into a braid. Her husband, Tristan, stood behind her, and gave a friendly wave.

Cordelia smiled as she explained, "sorry. Just had to finish my articles - some of us aren't as organised as you! Then I had an unfortunate encounter with Beck-"

"Thaddeus Beck? You mean, your ex? He's not still being a creep is he?" Tristan piped up.

"Sadly, yes. I don't think he'll ever stop being a creep," Cordelia replied, as the group found themselves heading towards the refreshments table.

"Don't worry, you'll find someone else soon, then you can finally move on properly from that b- Oh, speak of the devil!" Rebecca suddenly pointed up at the main staircase, where Beck was standing smugly beside Cedric Thornton, the _Telegraph_ 's editor-in-chief.

"Happy holidays, everyone!" Cedric announced, and the room went quiet as he continued: "I'd like to thank you all for meeting your December deadlines, and for making this year a successful one for the _Telegraph._ Before you all head off home, however, I have been asked to inform you all that one of our esteemed writers has recently got engaged - congratulations, Mr Thaddeus Beck!"

Beck grinned, and the crowd clapped, but Cordelia felt nothing but rage. That awful man - the same man who had been flirting with her and giving her gifts not ten minutes ago - was engaged? The nerve of him! Cordelia couldn't wait to get home so she could scream about it in peace.

* * *

Meanwhile, in London, Dr Anil Jhandir was having something of a rough day, though he couldn't quite figure out why. It couldn't be because of work, as he was very happy with his job at the hospital (the highest paid position, no less), and jolly good at it too. It couldn't be because of his social life either, as he had long since perfected the art of looking intimidating enough to avoid unwanted social interaction - one friend had always been quite enough for him. Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was... missing, somehow.

He continued to ponder this predicament as he strode down the pristine white corridors of the hospital, towards the foyer. He was glad to be able to head home after working all day - night shifts were far more preferable to him, but the busy winter months had required some rescheduling. Anil was just putting away his clipboard at the front desk when she heard someone addressing him: "Ah, Dr Jhandir! I was hoping to catch you before you left. Do you have a moment?"

The voice was easily recognisable, but Dr Jhandir looked up to double-check anyway. He had been correct. Standing before him, nervously adjusting his glasses, was Dr Irving Suttler.

"Hello, Suttler. What is it?"

Irving scratched his cheek and checked that no one was around before replying. "Well, ah, at today's department meeting (you were in surgery, so you missed it, not to worry) it came to our attention that you haven't used up any of your, er, annual leave yet, and have been working overtime quite often. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of pencilling in some days off for you on the rota. Just two weeks, starting tomorrow, if that's alright with you, of course."

Dr Jhandir scowled, "and why would you do that?"

Irving adjusted his glasses again as he continued. "You- er, you've been working so hard lately, and for the last few days you've looked - forgive me for saying so - a little stressed. Some time off... well, it might do you some good."

"What do you propose I do with this 'time off'?"

"Oh, er, I don't know. Celebrate the holidays? Go away somewhere nice?" 

Dr Jhandir thought for a moment, then admitted, mostly to himself, "hmm... maybe a holiday could be useful..."

"Oh, what a wonderful idea!" exclaimed Irving, "Chauncey and I used this nice little website to book our holiday this summer - we did a house exchange, and we were even allowed to bring little Mallow along! She had such a lovely time..."

As Irving continued to ramble on about his little trip away with his boyfriend and his dog, Dr Jhandir didn't even try to pretend he was listening. _Perhaps he is right though,_ he thought, though it pained him to admit it, _maybe a holiday will help give me a new perspective on what I need to do. Plus, a break from all these people is definitely overdue..._


	2. 'Zero'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrangements are made.

Back at home at last, Dr Jhandir sat at his desk, the curtains behind him firmly closed to prevent the afternoon sun from entering. The web-page open on the screen in front of him was full of images of various holiday destinations, from beach huts to city flats, most of which he had already dismissed. After a short while of scrolling, however, he saw one that looked... adequate. 

"'Christmas in Manhattan'... hmm, why not?" he murmured, clicking the link.

* * *

Cordelia was also back at home, feeling slightly light-headed (either from all the alcohol she'd been drinking after the party, or from the events of earlier. Or perhaps both).

"I could kill that man," she announced, though no one was there to hear her. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes fell upon the display of antique swords she had hanging above the fireplace. Not stopping to think, he grabbed one by the hilt, pulled it off the wall, and examined it closely. Miming stabbing someone with the sword, Cordelia found herself thinking _maybe I **should** kill him... All those teenage fencing lessons could certainly come in handy, and it's not like anyone would miss him-_

A sudden *ping* from Cordelia's laptop interrupted her thoughts and returned her to reality.

"Oh, what am I doing?" she shouted, dropped the sword, then lightly slapped herself in the face, "no point! No point. He's not worth it."

Shaking her head and taking another swig of her drink, Cordelia sat at the dining table and checked her laptop for the source of the noise. To her surprise, it was a notification from that holiday home exchange website - the one she'd almost forgotten that her house was on. There was a message from someone called Anil Jhandir, inquiring about the details of the property. Stunned, Cordelia set her drink down and typed her reply.

> **CF:** Hello, Anil. Yes, the house is still available. Smoke-free, one bedroom, no pets. Many thanks!
> 
> **AJ:** Dr Jhandir, please. Your home seems suitable for my needs. How does the exchange work?
> 
> **CF:** Great. I've never done it before, but we swap homes, cars, everything. Just pay for travel. I'm in Manhattan - where are you?
> 
> **AJ:** I understand. Thank you. I'm in London.

Oh, London! Cordelia had travelled a lot, but never there, at least, not properly anyway. Perhaps a change of scenery would be good for her - an escape from all of her worries.

> **CF:** Can I come tomorrow? Or is that too soon?

There was a long delay before she received a reply. Had she sounded too eager?

> **AJ:** One question: what are the chances of me being disturbed?

Bit of an odd question, Cordelia thought, but, honestly...

> **CF:** Zero.
> 
> **AJ:** Then tomorrow is perfect.

Cordelia couldn't help but laugh - this was the most spontaneous thing she'd done since changing her name! Despite its spontaneity, though, she hoped it was the right decision. She also hoped that Dr Jhandir's house was nice - if not, this idea was significantly worse than she thought.

Over in London, Dr Jhandir's thought process was much the same. 


	3. 'Dream Kitchen'

Cordelia's holiday didn't get off to the best of starts. She had hoped for a window seat on the flight to London (watching the clouds go by and seeing how small the earth looked was always thrilling), but instead she ended up sandwiched between two talkative old ladies. Then, just as she stepped off the plane, it started raining. _Just my luck,_ she thought, as she attempted to hail a taxi.

Once she had (finally) arrived at her home for the holidays, however, things started looking up. She had checked the address several times, but still could not quite believe she was in the right place. Behind a large and imposing gate stood a much larger and more imposing house; it was beautiful, and in what Cordelia guessed was one of the most expensive areas of the city.

Inside, everything was just as impressive - if not more so. Cordelia found herself running up and down the hallways and staircases, taking a look in every room. The kitchen was much larger (and more organised) than her own, as were the dining room, bathroom(s!), master bedroom, and lounge. There was also a large library, an office with a desk longer than her, two guest bedrooms, and an enormous, empty basement. What the purpose of that last room was remained a mystery, but Cordelia didn't let the enigma ruin her enjoyment. It felt so... freeing being here, in a completely new city where no one knew her name or face. It was like she was living a brand new life!

Overcome with excitement about her new adventure (and also with jet-lag), Cordelia laughed aloud and ran to the main bedroom, where she threw herself onto the freshly-made, queen-size bed. Starting her holiday properly could wait until she'd had a nice, long nap.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dr Jhandir was marching through the streets of Manhattan, dragging his suitcase behind him and glaring at anyone who dared to look at him. After a peaceful business-class flight, he had taken a taxi from the airport, but the driver had got lost in the city. Dr Jhandir had berated him for his incompetence, and decided to walk the rest of the way. The icy winter weather and crowds of people, however, were beginning to make him think this choice had been the wrong one.

The sun was already beginning to set when he finally arrived at his destination: an old, modest-looking building with a frost-covered sign that read 'Belladonna House'. Had it caught his eye on the holiday website due to being named after a powerful poison? Perhaps.

From the outside, the house did look exactly like the online photograph, which was a good start, but Anil held back on making his mind up about the place until he'd seen the interior.

The inside of Belladonna House was what some might call 'cosy'. Dr Jhandir preferred to use the words 'small' and 'cluttered'. After manoeuvring his suitcase up the tiny staircase to the bedroom (a near-Herculean feat), he had a proper look around. Everything was pretty much as described online: one (rather small) bedroom with (limited) storage space, one kitchen-diner (with exceeding old appliances), one lounge decorated primarily with travel souvenirs, and one (tiny) bathroom. Said bathroom was home to perhaps the smallest bathtub Dr Jhandir had ever seen. _Okay, that will be interesting..._ he thought.

Still, there were worse places to spend two weeks. He wasn't regretting coming here just yet.


	4. 'Anything Can Happen'

Cordelia awoke the next morning feeling thoroughly refreshed, and after a nice breakfast and a cup of coffee (the machine for which was rather complicated and obviously didn't see much use), she decided to have a proper look around the house. She started with the library, which was home to a large armchair and, quite inexplicably, a grand piano, as well as many, many books. On closer inspection of the shelves, Cordelia was disappointed to find that they primarily contained medical journals and leather-bound encyclopaedias. She had just picked up a rather intense-looking volume, entitled 'A Complete Guide to the Inner Workings of the Human Heart', when the doorbell rang.

Not expecting company, Cordelia almost dropped the book, but quickly returned it to its place and headed to the door. There, she was met by a complex security system - she had obviously bypassed it when she first arrived, and she had no idea how it worked. Panicking slightly, she pressed the button marked 'intercom' and hesitantly said "hello?"

The voice that responded had a strong Irish accent, and sounded more than a little confused to be conversing with a woman. "Er, hello?" he said (for it was definitely a he), "is the doc there?"

"No, sorry, er, hang on! I'm just trying to figure out how to open the door..." Cordelia pressed several more buttons, which made the lock emit a deafening buzzing noise. She cursed loudly, and at the same moment, the door opened. "If you heard that, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, don't worry, it was actually pretty funny!" the man in the doorway laughed, and Cordelia finally got a good look at him. He was tall - taller than her, which was quite impressive - with short red hair, lots of freckles oh his cheeks, and remarkably strong-looking arms... 

Cordelia didn't realise she was staring until the stranger spoke again: "so, uh, where _is_ the doc?"

"What? Oh! Dr Jhandir? Well, he- he's on holiday actually. We swapped houses for two weeks."

The stranger looked both surprised and embarrassed. "Oh, right. That explains the three missed calls."

Cordelia smiled at him, "is there anything I can help with?"

"Thanks, but, no, it's alright. I just dropped by to say hello as I was passing by. The doc and I are friends, and--" He was interrupted by a car horn from outside the gate. "Oh, that's my brother, Liam," he explained, "he's not very patient, so I'd better go. Sorry for bothering you."

"Oh, it was no trouble! I'm Cordelia, by the way."

"Andrew. Nice to meet you, Cordelia."

"And you, Andrew." Cordelia waved as her new acquaintance headed off. She was still smiling long after he was gone.

* * *

Later that evening, Dr Jhandir sat in the sitting room of Belladonna House, unsure what to do. He'd already been out today, to explore the city a bit and purchase some essentials, and read one of the multiple books he'd brought with him. _One can only do so much reading in a day before it becomes tiresome,_ he thought, as he sipped a cup of tea. After keeping himself busy with work for so long, Dr Jhandir was now unsure of how to relax, especially when not in his own home. Coming here had definitely been a mistake. A silly, impulsive mistake that he was sure never to make again. His mind made up, he headed upstairs to pack his suitcase.

Midway through refolding his shirts, however, he was interrupted by someone frantically knocking at the door. Cautiously, he headed downstairs to see who it was.

"Cordelia! Come on, let me in! It's freezing out here!" came a voice from outside, followed by yet more knocking.

Dr Jhandir took a deep breath, then unlocked and opened the door. He was greeted by a petite woman with dark hair, wearing an elegant black coat.

"Oh, finally! Wait- you're not Cordelia... Unless I'm more sleep deprived than I originally thought?" the woman said, looking up at Dr Jhandir quizzically before gently pushing past him to get in from the cold. Taken aback, he shut the door behind her.

"Sorry, but who are you? And what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm Celine, Cordelia's sister. Where is she? And who, may I add, are you?" the woman had already taken her coat off, and was now sitting by the fireplace in the lounge.

Dr Jhandir reluctantly followed her as he made his answer: "My name is Dr Anil Jhandir. Your sister and I have swapped houses for the holiday. I'm surprised she didn't tell you," _or warn me about the possibility of this happening,_ he added, silently.

"Oh. I was at an art exhibition all weekend and had to keep my phone turned off," Celine paused for a moment, "well, sorry to have to ask, but Cordelia always lets me spend the night here after I've been working in town, as the night trains are always so unreliable. You wouldn't mind if I stayed, would you? I promise I won't bother you, and I'll be gone before you wake up!"

"Well, I, er..." Dr Jhandir struggled to think of a reply. The whole situation had caught him quite off-guard.

Celine, however, interrupted his thought process by suddenly asking, "Wait, actually, did you say you were a doctor? Like, the medical kind?"

"Er, yes..." Dr Jhandir replied, once again more than a little confused.

"Sorry, that was an odd question, wasn't it? I did tell you I was sleep deprived. Anyway, I hope you don't find it too forward of me, but I've always wanted to know: what does it feel like to see someone die right in front of you?"

Well, that was certainly a question he hadn't been expecting. The answer came easily, though: "It's fascinating to watch. Seeing the light fade from someone's eyes really makes one feel alive."

Celine looked enthralled, and continued to ask Dr Jhandir more and more oddly-specific questions about his work.

"What does it feel like when you cut someone's chest open?"

"Have you ever had to sever a limb before?"

"I find the heart a truly beautiful and fascinating organ, don't you?"

They conversed in this manner well into the night, and Dr Jhandir supposed that Celine was going to stay, despite not actually having his initial permission. For some reason, though, he didn't mind. It felt good to discuss these sort of things with someone - it was rare to find anyone with the same 'morbid' interests as him. When he eventually left Celine to sleep and headed upstairs, he almost felt disappointed at the thought of perhaps never seeing her again.


	5. 'Definitely Unexpected'

The next morning, after waking up late and getting washed and dressed, Dr Jhandir headed downstairs, where he was surprised to find Celine sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea. She looked up as he came in, and said "Oh, good morning, Dr Jhandir! I know I said I'd be gone before you woke up, but-"

"It's fine," he replied, surprising himself by how much he really meant it.

"Thank you," Celine said, "the reason I stayed is actually because I wanted to ask you something. You see, our conversation last night... well, it inspired me, so tonight I'm going to do it. I'm going to kill someone. Now, I know you mentioned you were going to be leaving early today, but if by any chance you change your mind, you're welcome to assist me. If you like."

The flippant way in which she discussed murdering someone both surprised and impressed Dr Jhandir, but, as tempting an offer as it was, he had already made up his mind. He told Celine this.

"Oh. Alright then. If you _do_ change your mind, though, here's where I'll be. Five o'clock." Celine wrote the name of a local bar on some notepaper and left it on the table before fetching her coat.

Dr Jhandir thanked her and said goodbye, once again feeling that odd sense of disappointment.

"You know," Celine said, as she headed outside, "you are the most interesting man I have ever met. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise," replied Dr Jhandir. And with that, he was left alone again.

* * *

Back in London, Cordelia was just thinking again about how nice it was to be away from her normal life, when a delivery man came to the door with a parcel. It was addressed to her, from the US, so whoever sent it must have paid quite a bit for express postage. How the sender had known her holiday address was a mystery, and a troubling one at that. Even more troubling, however, were the parcel's contents: a small, black, leather-bound notebook, and a note written in an all-too-familiar hand. Cordelia felt nauseous as she read it.

> My dearest Faye,
> 
> I hope you are having an excellent holiday. I am missing you greatly, and have written you a selection of poems to express myself properly. Please read them and tell me what you think. In my opinion, they're some of my best.
> 
> Forever yours, Thaddeus x

Cordelia threw it onto the floor in disgust. Just when she'd started to forget that awful man existed! He always found a way to ruin the things that made her happy. Furious, she decided to take a walk to clear her head.

* * *

Dr Jhandir stood in line at the airport, waiting to change the date of his return flight. As he waited, however, his mind revisited his evening with Celine. Never before had he felt able to be so open about his true passion - was this what he had been missing? And if he was honest, Celine's plans for tonight certainly sounded intriguing...

In a sudden and rare change of heart, Dr Jhandir found himself turning around, leaving the airport, and hailing a taxi. He checked his watch - four o'clock. 

He could make it.

* * *

Cordelia, meanwhile, was wandering through London, trying and failing to take her mind off of Beck. As she passed yet another row of uninteresting clothes shops, she saw a familiar face across the street: Andrew.

"Hello again!" she greeted, as she hurried over to him.

"Oh, hello, Cordelia. Nice to see you again!" Andrew replied, smiling. His freckled cheeks were pink from the cold.

"You too! You're not busy, are you?"

"No, I just got off from work actually. Can I ask why?"

"Well, I hope its not weird to ask, but would you perhaps like to join me for lunch? It's just, you're the only person I sort-of know around here, and I think I could do with some company. Plus, I don't know any good places to eat here, so the choice is yours."

Andrew looked surprised, and Cordelia hoped she hadn't been too forward. Apparently she was being spontaneous with everything now.

After a moment, Andrew replied, 'No, er, I mean, that would be nice! I know a good pub a few blocks away... if that's alright with you?"

Cordelia tried to conceal a sigh of relief. "Sounds perfect!"


	6. 'Busy Guy'

The pub that Andrew had directed Cordelia to was fully decorated with Irish flags, as well as Christmas ornaments.

"Are you sure I'm allowed in?" she asked, half-jokingly.

"Yeah, you're fine. It's just English folks they kick out," Andrew replied, in all seriousness.

"Ah, that's alright then!" laughed Cordelia, as they headed inside.

They soon found a table and ordered some food and drinks. It was only as they waited for their meals to arrive that Cordelia noticed Andrew's bloodied knuckles. She asked if he was okay.

"Oh, these?" he replied, "yeah, its all part of the job. I'm a fighter."

"Right! That makes sense then. Do you... _enjoy_ doing that?" Cordelia was genuinely curious - it sounded a far more interesting career than her own.

"Yeah, I love it. Not the best paid job in the world, but I get by, and it is what I'm good at. I can't imagine doing anything different. What do you do?" Andrew seemed genuinely interested too, and wasn't even distracted by the arrival of their food.

"Me? I write for a newspaper. Not the job I always wanted to do, but, you know. It's fine, and I have some good friends there."

"What did you always want to do? If you don't mind me asking?"

Whether it was because of the glass of alcohol she'd just drained in seconds, or the fact that Andrew was so easy to talk to, Cordelia didn't know, but for some reason she started telling him everything.

"I dreamed of being a pilot," she began, "did all the training and everything. But then my ex got in the way. Stuff happened, and I had to quit just before I got my license. He made me start working with him instead. Of course, I realised what a jerk he was and broke up with him not long after, but it was too late. And I've had to deal with him working down the hall ever since." She could have gone into more detail, but feared she might either cry or scream if she did. Besides, Andrew probably didn't want to hear her whole life story.

"Wow, your ex sounds like a real a******e," Andrew said. Noticing that this was a tough subject for Cordelia, he then tried to turn the conversation in a different direction. Cordelia realised this straight away, and had never felt more grateful towards anyone in her whole life.

The pair continued to talk and drink together for most of the afternoon. It felt like they had known each other for years, even thought it had really only been a couple of days. For the first time in years, Cordelia felt completely relaxed, and all thoughts of Beck were soon banished from her mind.

* * *

Dr Jhandir found Celine sitting at a small table by the window of the bar. After quickly dropping his suitcase back at the house, he had arrived on the dot of five, just as she had said, but she still looked surprised to see him. A good kind of surprised.

"So, you decided to stay after all," Celine remarked.

"Yes. Consider me intrigued by your plans."

Celine's cheeks flushed, "okay, well, actually I was hoping _you_ would have a plan..."

"What? Why? This was all your idea."

"I've never done this before!" she replied, "you're the experienced one - I thought you'd want to take the lead!"

Dr Jhandir rolled his eyes and lowered his voice; "Well, we can't just rush in and kill someone without a plan. Any complications could spell disaster. We'll have to think of something now, and act another time."

Celine was clearly annoyed about the delay. At least they felt the same way.

"Alright, then," she said, "what's the best way to commit murder?"

"Well, it depends on the victim really," explained Dr Jhandir, who had spent a great deal of his life thinking about this, "for example, with that man over there" (he gestured to a young man surrounded by empty bottles at a nearby table) "you'd just need to slip some poison into his drink. He wouldn't notice any taste, and everyone would assume the alcohol was to blame."

Celine looked thoughtful. "Very nice," she replied, "but I'm thinking of something more... direct. I want to _be_ there, looking into their eyes as the light fades from them."

Dr Jhandir nodded in understanding - he liked Celine's way of thinking. Using hushed tones and keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers, they continued to discuss methods of murder for the rest of the evening. It was rather late when they returned to Belladonna House, but at long last they were happy with their plan of action. He let Celine sleep on the sofa again.

It may not have been the evening he was expecting, but it was still worth staying for.


	7. 'Roadside Rhapsody'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not quite a rager, but, you know, it'll do. Also, there's a bit of murder.

The next morning, Dr Jhandir once again came downstairs to find Celine sitting in the kitchen. She greeted him with a pleasant smile, as if this was all perfectly normal for her. "Good morning, doctor. Did you sleep well?" she said.

"Good morning, Celine. Yes I did, thank you. And yourself?"

"I slept soundly, thank you." She paused for a moment. "Now, then, with all the pleasantries over with, how about we go through the plan again?"

Oh. Right. The plan. The plan that involved going out into town for the day and murdering someone. The plan that was likely the reason why both Dr Jhandir and Celine had woken up at seven in the morning, quietly excited.

"I think we know exactly what we're doing," Dr Jhandir replied, coolly.

Celine nodded, and, after a quick cup of tea, off they went.

* * *

The same day, Cordelia was in high spirits. In a rare moment of loneliness, she had made yet another spontaneous decision, and called some of the people in Dr Jhandir's address book to invite them to the house for a little dinner party. Of the few people she called, all of them had seemed incredibly surprised by such an invitation, and only three had agreed (though one of them had brought a plus-one), but so far things seemed to be going well. Irving - one of Dr Jhandir's colleagues - and his boyfriend Chauncey were in the midst of telling a hilarious story about their dog when the doorbell rang. Her final guest must have arrived.

Cordelia rushed to answer it, and, having now figured out the lock system, was soon greeted by Andrew's smiling face.

"Hello! I thought you might not make it," she exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late, there were some... problems at work," Andrew looked downcast, but made an attempt to hide it as he continued, "sounds like you've got quite the party going on in there!"

Cordelia laughed and showed him inside. He sat down in an empty seat between Cordelia and a redheaded young woman named Elizabeth, who worked in one of the local shops. As the conversation (and, yes, a few drinks) flowed, Cordelia noticed Andrew starting to cheer up, and that made her all the happier.

* * *

Later on, Dr Jhandir was walking back to Belladonna House with Celine. Both of them were covering up blood-splattered clothes with their coats, and smiling happily.

"You don't suppose anyone will find the body, do you?" Dr Jhandir asked, conversationally, keeping his voice quiet.

"No. It's not like anyone will be looking for him. We made a good choice, and we hid him well too!" Celine failed to stifle a girlish giggle, "it was wonderful, wasn't it?"

She was right - it was. Dr Jhandir nodded in reply, trying to say as little as possible so that he could focus on remembering as much of the man's death as possible, so that he could accurately document him findings. Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice when they arrived at their destination.

"Well, thank you for today, Celine. It has been... most illuminating," he said, opening the front gate.

"No, thank _you,_ Anil. It was you who inspired me, after all." Celine smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

They stood there in silence for a moment, snow gently falling around them, until Dr Jhandir finally spoke: "I best be off, then. You should head home too - it's freezing out."

"Oh, right. Of course. I suppose I'll be seeing you, then. Thanks again for a lovely day."

As she spoke, Celine looked a little upset, for whatever reason. Perhaps she had been expecting to be invited in? Oh well, it was a bit late for that now. Besides, there were important scientific discoveries to be documented!

With one last quick wave at Celine, Dr Jhandir headed inside, where he let out a sigh. Earlier that day, slicing into a stranger's flesh, revealing all the macabre beauty beneath the skin, with Celine by his side... for the first time in a long while, all had felt right with the world. He was determined not to lose that feeling again.

* * *

That evening, in London, Cordelia's dinner guests had all gone home. Except for Andrew, who had insisted on helping her clear up. As they put away the last few freshly-cleaned plates, Cordelia looked up at him and asked "hey, are you alright? You looked a bit sad earlier."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing..." Andrew paused for a moment, then, seeing Cordelia's look of concern, continued: "I just lost a fight earlier, that's all. Lots of people had their money on me, and my boss was _not_ happy. There's a rematch next week, and I'm not lookin' forward to it."

Cordelia nodded in understanding, and gestured for Andrew to sit down while she poured them both another whiskey. 

"What's that book doing on the floor?" Andrew asked, in an obvious attempt to change the subject. Cordelia answered honestly, though, as she sat down beside him.

"Just a load of bad poems I was asked to read by a colleague... well, an ex, actually." Just the thought of Beck compelled her to down her drink in one.

Andrew turned to look at her. "The same ex that made you quit being a pilot?"

"The very same."

Andrew shook his head angrily. "So he ruins your dreams, then continues to push his way into your life? He really is a right a***."

Cordelia laughed at that, "he is. The funny thing is, though, I didn't realise just how hellish it was to be around him every day until I came here."

Andrew put his glass down and took Cordelia's hand. "Well, now that you know, you can do something about it. You deserve much better than him."

"And you deserve a boss who isn't a d*** to you.," replied Cordelia. She laughed slightly, but she meant every word. Hopefully Andrew realised that.

"You're right," he said. "Hey, actually, would you like to come watch the fight next week? Having you there might be like a lucky charm."

Cordelia laughed again, "you don't need any luck, you're Irish! And a damn good fighter too, I bet. But I'd love to come!"

Andrew blushed, and grinned from ear-to-ear, and Cordelia found herself doing the same.


	8. A Phone Call

Several days later, Cordelia sat at the desk in Dr Jhandir's office, speaking to the man himself on the phone.

"...so is the house okay? Everything still working?" she asked.

"Yes, everything is fine, thank you. I trust the same can be said for-"

"Oh, sorry, one second! I've just got another call coming through. I'll be back in a minute!" Cordelia pressed a button on the telephone (which, thankfully, wasn't quite as complex and terrifying as the security system) and was greeted by another voice: Celine's.

"Ah, there you are! It's been ages since we last spoke. How's your holiday going?" Celine asked.

"It's going... really well actually. London is lovely, and I've met lots of nice people. It's definitely been good for me," Cordelia sighed wistfully. She couldn't believe she had to head home in just a few short days.

Celine, ever the observant one, suddenly sounded intrigued. "When you say 'some nice people', do you really mean 'one specific nice person'?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, but did admit, "maybe. I don't know. You know I have issues with relationship stuff after-"

"Yes, I know. Your terrible ex. You really need to forget about that."

Desperate to change the subject, and suddenly remembering about Dr Jhandir on the other line, Cordelia said "sorry, Celine. I really do want to talk to you, but I've got someone else on hold. Can you hang on for a sec?"

She pressed the 'switch call' button straight away, not waiting for a reply. "Sorry about that, Dr Jhandir. That was my sister."

"Oh, Celine?" he sounded different somehow when he said her name.

"Yes. I'm guessing you've met then?"

"We have. Can I ask if she sounded okay? It's been a while since we last spoke."

Cordelia could sense that _something_ was going on here, but agreed to check on Celine on the doctor's behalf anyway. Her sister sounded very happy to hear from him.

"Oh, why didn't you say it was Anil you were talking to? Tell him I'm doing well, and that I have completed a new painting thanks to his inspiration!"

O-kay... bit of a peculiar response, but Cordelia conveyed it anyway. Dr Jhandir seemed to understand it perfectly.

"That is good news," he said, "please tell her that I, too, found great inspiration from our meeting last week."

Cordelia now realised exactly what was going on - she knew her sister too well.

"One moment please, Dr Jhandir," she said, sweetly, before pressing the 'switch' button and shouting " **I can't believe you committed murder with the man staying in my house!"**

To her utter mortification, however, it was not Celine who answered.

"Oh. Did she tell you then?" said Dr Jhandir, casually.

Cordelia had never wanted the ground to swallow her up so badly. She was so embarrassed, it felt like she was on the brink of death. "Sorry..." she squeaked, then pressed the button again. Firmly, this time.

" **I can't believe you convinced him to kill someone with you! The first thing he asked me about this holiday was whether he'd be disturbed, and I specifically told him 'no'. Then you show up and immediately get him involved in your... morbid fascinations!** "

"Er, it's still me..." came Dr Jhandir's voice from the receiver.

Cordelia swore. She wanted to cry. "I am _so_ sorry. I must have lost her. Please, just forget I said anything. Have a lovely rest of your holiday!"

She hung up the phone before he could reply. At this point, she would happily welcome death.


	9. 'Gumption'

After his _interesting_ phone conversation with Cordelia, Dr Jhandir made a decision: Celine hadn't spoken to him since they day of the murder, and was in all likelihood still annoyed about his curt behaviour. He would have to go and see her, to apologise. Making apologies wasn't really his usual style, but on this particular occasion it felt necessary.

Suddenly determined, he put on his coat and headed out, towards the tube station (or 'subway', as it was known here). Celine had given him her address on their first meeting, in case he ever wanted to write to her, he supposed. Thankfully, it was less than an hour away.

At last, Dr Jhandir arrived at the right address, and knocked on the door. There was movement from inside, then, moments later, Celine was standing in front of him.

"Oh, Anil!" she exclaimed, "what a surprise!"

"Yes, hello, Celine. My apologies for arriving unannounced, but it has come to my attention that my behaviour the other day may have been perceived as rude. I have-"

He was interrupted by the muffled yet unmistakable sound of shouting from inside the house. "Ah," he said, "you're not alone, are you?"

Celine smiled sheepishly, "no, I'm not... Though, actually, I could do with a doctor's expertise. Come in!"

He did as he was told, and after he had taken his coat off, Celine led him to a small room at the back of her home. It was empty, save for a woman tied to a chair and blindfolded in the centre. Dr Jhandir glanced at Celine, who was smiling gleefully.

"I did tell you I was still inspired!" she explained. "I wanted to do some life-study work, so I found a subject. And, we can take our time with this one. Properly study everything."

Now Dr Jhandir was smiling too. He supposed all was forgiven.

* * *

Meanwhile, in London, Cordelia was getting ready to head off and see Andrew's fight when her phone rang. Not stopping to check the caller ID, she picked up. "Hello?"

"Faye, darling!"

She nearly threw the phone across the room. "What do you want, Thaddeus?"

"Don't sound so angry! Your Christmas gift arrived, and it should be at your holiday address now. Go look for it, will you?"

Cordelia sighed, but searched anyway. The sooner she found this gift, the sooner she could burn it. There was nothing by the letterbox, so she opened the door to check if anything had been left outside. Instead of a parcel, however, there was a man on the doorstep. A dark-haired man who deserved a good punch in the face.

"Surprise!" Thaddeus Beck exclaimed, with a hideous smirk.

Cordelia was too stunned to respond, and couldn't even stop him from pushing past her and into the hallway.

"This place suits you, Faye," he said, as he nosed around, "did you read my poems?"

Cordelia's surprise was slowly being replaced by rage. "No, I did not," she replied.

"Oh, that's a shame. I'll tell you what they meant, though; they said that I miss you, and that I want to spend every minute with you. Maybe we should go on holiday together sometime? Venice is lovely in the spring..." He stepped closer to Cordelia and raised his hand to stroke her hair. Cordelia grabbed his wrist harshly, stopping him in his tracks.

"I take it you're no longer engaged, then?"

Beck looked confused, and hesitated before saying, "well, no? I wish you wouldn't complicate things like this."

Right. That was it. "Me? Complicate things?" Cordelia snapped, "I'm not the one flirting with my ex and making her life a living hell while I'm engaged to someone else!"

Beck was stunned, which gave Cordelia a hint of satisfaction. "But, I- Faye, darling, I-" he began.

"No. I've had enough of you. I can't believe it's taken so long for me to realise, but I am done with having you in my life! I thought I had to put up with you, but I don't. In fact, I never want to see you again! Now, get out! Out!"

Beck looked genuinely terrified as he scurried outside. Cordelia slammed the door behind him, then, after a moment, let out a shriek of pure joy and relief. At last, she finally felt free of her past and that awful man, and was ready to start living her own life again. First things first, she had a fight to get to.


	10. Finale

Andrew won the rematch, as Cordelia knew he would. As the crowd celebrated his victory, her cheers were the loudest.

Afterwards, as two different fighters took to the ring, Andrew came and found her in the crowd. He was sporting a fresh black eye as well as more bloodied knuckles, but he was still smiling.

"Congratulations! I told you you could do it!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Ah, thank you. And thanks for coming, too - you really were a lucky charm!"

Cordelia laughed, and the pair went to get some celebratory drinks from the house bar. After their glasses were drained, Andrew suddenly looked up nervously.

"Hey, Cordelia?" he asked, "what are you doing New Year's Eve?"

"I'll be back in the states by New Year's Eve..." Cordelia replied, feeling sad at the thought of it. She felt at home here in London, more than she ever had in Manhattan - to go home so soon seemed like a big mistake. Unless... "Well, I could just call up and change my flight... It does seem silly not to stay a few extra days and see in the new year."

Andrew had looked a little sad before, but now his face lit up. "So, er, if you do end up staying... would you like to be my date for New Years?"

Cordelia beamed at him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'd love to!"

* * *

A couple of days later, Dr Jhandir was packing his suitcase ready to leave (for real, this time). He had to be at the airport in a few hours, and was surprised by how much he wished he had more time.

As he finally closed his suitcase and started dragging it downstairs, there was a knock at the door. He got an odd sense of deja-vu. 

On opening the door, Dr Jhandir was met by Celine. He hadn't been expecting her, but was not the least bit surprised.

"Oh, I'm so glad I got here in time! Have you got a minute to talk?" she said.

"Of course," Dr Jhandir replied, ushering her into the sitting room and out of the cold, "what is it?"

Celine looked a little embarrassed all of a sudden. "Well, I've had an idea. You see, these past two weeks have been some of the most exciting weeks of my life, and, they're nearly over. The truth is, Anil, I'm really going to miss you - nobody has ever understood me like you do. Also, I've never been to England, so I was thinking... If I flew over there and stayed for a little while, we could ring in the New Year together? You know, like a date?"

"Oh. Yes, alright." Dr Jhandir wasn't entirely sure of the best way to phrase this response, but Celine seemed thrilled anyway. Remarkably, he was thrilled too.

* * *

That New Year's Eve was an eventful one.

Cordelia spent much of the day on the phone to Rebecca and Tristan, whilst also finding time to research some London-based pilot training programmes. When evening came, Andrew picked her up from her hotel room (now that Dr Jhandir was back - and with her sister, which was a little weird - she was no longer allowed to stay at his house), and they saw in the New Year together at the same Irish pub where they had their first 'date'. Their night was filled with plenty of drinks, dancing, and maybe a few kisses too.

Dr Jhandir and Celine started a brand new (and rather bloody) New Year's tradition - Cordelia had an idea of who their victim could be, but unfortunately Beck had gone off the grid, so they had to improvise. Still, Celine now had plenty of ideas for her latest collection of paintings, and Dr Jhandir had filled several notebooks with findings. They also agreed to call each other regularly, and fly between London and Manhattan as much as possible.

This was the start of a brand-new chapter for all of them.


End file.
